15 years in jail for South African ex-police who dragged man

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A South African judge sentenced eight former police officers to 15 years in prison for the murder of a Mozambican man they dragged behind a police van.

The African News Agency reported on Wednesday that Judge Bert Bam sentenced the men to 15 years each.

The defense lawyer told journalists that he planned to appeal the murder conviction.

In August the judge ruled that the policemen murdered taxi driver Mido Macia when they cuffed him behind a police van and intentionally dragged him with the vehicle to a nearby police station in 2013. He was later found dead in a police cell. Police had arrested Macia for an alleged traffic infringement. The policemen were later dismissed.

The incident was captured on a mobile phone video, sparking protests against police brutality.

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Launched in July 2015, Africa Times is an independent participative online news site for Sub-Saharan Africa. We aim to empower all African voices through publishing content by a range of people, from academics to bloggers. We are dedicated to bringing the world an African view on life, up-to-date African news and analysis.